Wacky and NSFW website Cracked has posted a very interesting article by author David Wong, discussing some disturbing trends in the gaming industry. We summarise them below, but the lengthy and humourous original article is well worth reading if you have some time (and can tolerate potty mouth).
Number 6 – The technology is becoming regressive
Motion controls have begun to strip layers of input options and skill from games, while introducing some questionable levels of interactivity. As a result, the games have to be dumbed down to cater to the controls.
Number 5 – Always on DRM and online security
As a means to combat piracy, publishers are resorting to online authorisation before one can play games. It’s reached a point where even single player gamers have to ‘call home’ before they are allowed to enjoy the product they paid for.
On top of this, to secure online authorisation, publishers are collecting personal data on their users, which is then vulnerable to hacking attacks, as evidenced by the recent Sony PSN debacle. The future holds much more annoying internet connection required DRM methods.
Number 4 – Infinite payout model
The video game industry is moving away from selling games as a single package good, to a model where games are delivered as a service. This means that game design might suffer, being geared to towards repetitive addiction, instead of unique and refreshing gameplay. Bolt-on services will begin to emerge, such as Call of Duty Elite. Publishers will focus on multiplayer games that can be strung out with constant content updates, casting doubt on the viability of single-player story-driven games.
Number 3 – The death of imagination
Looking at the lineup of titles announced at E3, you’ll be hard pressed to find some original IP in amongst the mire of sequels. Even the new stuff is often merely a tried and true core genre with a fresh lick of paint. With the cost of producing a game, publishers are resorting to creating games in IP they know that works.
Number 2 – Where to from here
It seems as if the gaming industry has reached a plateau. Developers strove to reach the pinnacle of realistic visuals, but now that they have pretty much conquered the challenge, where do they go to from here? In the meantime, developers are competing against an avalanche of dollar apps – a massive market segment that does equally well, if not better than the traditional video games market.
Number 1 – What the hell is a game anyway?
Blanket labelling everything we play as a game has become inaccurate. We now have interactive, real-time rendered movies, which transform to become competitive online e-sports. Cracked author David Wong suggests that games need to be redefined into various genres of interactive art and entertainment, with sensible pricing models depending on the type of game.
The 6 Most Ominous Trends in Video Gaming << comments and views
Source: Cracked – The 6 Most Ominous Trends in Video Games
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